GPL worker falls to his death from damaged utility pole

Jan 05, 2017 News

A Guyana Power and Light employee lost his life yesterday after he came crashing down from a utility pole he was working on at Belvedere Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

Dead: Brian Clifford (inset) the broken pole being removed.

Dead is Brian David Clifford, 47, of Bush Lot Village. When this publication visited the area, GPL workers were seen erecting a new utility pole and removing the broken one.
From information gathered by this publication, Clifford, who was scheduled to work the 3:00PM-11:00PM shift, was responding to a call that an excavator while working in the area damaged one of the wires running from the utility pole.
According to Ulin Khempadoo who was at home when the incident took place, the excavator was clearing the trench just in front of her home when the front of the vehicle hit the pole and damaged an electric wire in the process.
“I saw the thing was digging the trench and the thing hit the pole and the boys came from the electric company.” She stated, “The guy climb up and I saw him strapping himself, the post was leaning already”. The traumatized woman related that after a short while, she was sewing in her chair when she saw the post cracking from the bottom.
“I saw the post was coming down and I start scream; I start to scream right away and after that he came crashing down”. Another neighbour stressed that the pole should have been tested to determine whether it was strong enough to

Wife: Mohanie Clifford

hold his weight, but this did not happen.
Another eyewitness, Chan Khempadoo, stated that “the post fell first and he landed on the post and he face slam into a pot hole in front my yard on the street”. His colleagues who were with him at the time rushed to his assistance immediately and took him to the Anamayah Memorial Hospital where he was admitted in the emergency unit.
Meanwhile during a visit to his home at Lot 414 Bush Lot Village, the dead man’s wife was seen sobbing uncontrollably as she was being comforted by relatives and friends. Mohanie Clifford told media operatives that she was at home when she received the dreadful news, “I was at home and my cousin that lives opposite came and told me that someone saw him going into the hospital.” She stated that she left her home immediately to go to the hospital. “When I reached there, they were trying to pump his heart to get it to work”. According to her, it was too late.
Through her tears she mustered the strength to praise her husband for the individual he was while alive. “He was everything to me” she cried out. “Yesterday me lie down with you today meh mourn fa you, Yuh bin suh good to meh; you were the rose of my life.”
His daughter Lisa Clifford also spoke highly of her father as she emphasized the dedication he had towards his job.
Brian Clifford was employed at the Guyana Power and Light as a Linesman for over 15 years. He recently received an award for his years of service to the power company.
He leaves to mourn his two children aged 19 and 16, wife, parents other relatives and friends.

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